Effectiveness of Acupuncture in Reducing Pain and Improving Shoulder Function in Patients with Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy: A Clinical Trial Study

Rotator cuff tendinopathy is a clinical disorder, in which the soft tissue of the shoulder joint becomes painful. Patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy experience pain when raising their arms or lying on the injured side.

This study examines the effectiveness of acupuncture in reducing pain and improving shoulder function in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy.

This study was a randomized clinical trial on 40 patients with unilateral rotator cuff tendinopathy, who were randomly divided into two groups: group A (n = 20) with treatment based on acupuncture, exercise, and meloxicam tablets, and group B (control group, n = 20) with treatment based on exercise and meloxicam tablets. For each patient, a questionnaire was used to record previous experiences of shoulder pain, neck pain, duration of shoulder pain, previous treatment, degree of general pain before the study and over the night using a visual analogue scale (VAS), shoulder function using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) Questionnaire, shoulder painful range of motion using a goniometer, and type of analgesic pill used in the last two weeks. Moreover, the intensity of pain, shoulder function, and the painful shoulder’s range of motion were also recorded after completing the treatment sessions and three months after the treatment.

Both methods reduced the pain index.; however, a more significant decrease was observed in the acupuncture method than in the meloxicam-taking method (P < 0.001). The two methods reduced the DASH index; however, there was a more significant decrease in the acupuncture method than in the control group (P < 0.001). According to the results, painful-arch-min improved in both groups; however, it had a more significant effect in the acupuncture group than the control group. Painful-arch-max also improved in both groups, and there was no significant difference between the two groups.

Considering the research findings, acupuncture can reduce pain and improve shoulder function in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy. Future studies are recommended to include a larger sample size.